There is never-wavering demand for integrated circuits (ICs) having a process feature size smaller than that of present-day ICs. When improved lithography equipment is introduced to accommodate this demand, there is an detrimental impact on product launch and fabrication schedules due to a delay between availability of production at the smaller process feature size and a start of production. This unfortunate delay is due in part to a need for time to design new semiconductor masks having features at the smaller process feature size. The time delay impacts a company's profitability by creating an opportunity loss.
At first glance, linearly reducing a semiconductor mask having features at a larger process feature size to the smaller process feature size appears appealing. In fact, some mask features may be linearly reduced from the larger process feature size to the smaller process feature size, that is, without any redesign. However, not all mask features may be linearly reduced. Some critical circuits malfunction when fabricated from masks having features that are reduced linearly. For example, in a circuit having both analog and digital circuits that are fabricated from a linearly-reduced mask, timing circuits fail to properly function because some IC elements become too small at the smaller process feature size. Therefore, simply reducing all mask features linearly is not always a viable method of producing a mask having features at the smaller process feature size.
As a result, mask features of critical IC elements must be redesigned when the circuit is to be fabricated at the smaller process feature size. However, redesign of even a common IC element, such as a pad, takes time that detrimentally impacts fabrication and product launch schedules. Compounding the redesigner's challenge are factors such as reducing circuit area (i.e. substrate real estate) as well as standardizing a circuit mask so multiple foundries may fabricate the same IC.
Thus, what is needed is an method for reducing a time delay between the foundry's initial production capability and actual start of production at the smaller process feature size as well as overcoming other shortcomings described above.